


The Basement

by cloudy_dreams



Category: NCT (Band)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-31
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2021-01-15 04:21:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21247394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cloudy_dreams/pseuds/cloudy_dreams
Summary: Taeyong keeps hearing strange noises down in the basement.





	The Basement

“Doyoung? Doyoung, wake up.” Taeyong poked his sleeping boyfriend in the side. 

Doyoung grunted and rolled over. 

“Seriously, Doyoung, wake up!” Taeyong hissed, nudging him more forcefully. “I hear something coming from the basement.” 

Doyoung groggily rolled over again so that he was facing Taeyong. Despite the darkness, Taeyong could tell that his boyfriend was awake, even though he still had his eyes shut. 

Another thump sounded from below, and Taeyong huddled closer to his boyfriend, “Did you hear that? I think someone is down there.” 

“I doubt there’s anyone down there. We would have heard something more than just a few creeks,” Doyoung mumbled into his pillow,

“I heard something fall down!” 

“It could have been almost anything, Taeyong,” Doyoung tried to comfort his boyfriend. “An earthquake, a slight breeze, one of the boxes falling because it had been moved and gravity finally took its toll.” 

“Or it could be axe murderer and we’re just lying here.” 

Sighing, Doyoung sat up. “Now you are being overdramatic.” 

“Me? I just want to make sure we don’t get killed in our sleep!”

Even though Taeyong couldn’t see it, he just knew that Doyoung rolled his eyes at him. Despite his annoyance with being woken up at 2 in the morning, Doyoung was still making a move to grab his robe and put on his slippers. 

“Come on,” he called, “Let’s go investigate.”

“Wait, what?” Taeyong asked. “I thought you could go down by yourself.” He pulled the covers up so that only his eyes were poking out.

Doyoung grunted, illuminating him with his phone’s flashlight, “Did you think I was going to be your big strong man and go down by myself? As if. You’re coming along, too, cupcake.” He unceremoniously pulled off the covers, exposing Taeyong’s bare chest to the chilly air. 

“I should have known better.” Taeyong pulled on a shirt and slipped into a pair of boxers, before putting on his own slippers. Doyoung impatiently tapped his foot as he got dressed. 

Once they were all set, they headed out the bedroom, down the hallway, letting only the illumination of the flashlight show them the way. Taeyong cautiously opened the basement door as Doyoung held the light behind him. When nothing jumped out, he pushed the door in and Doyoung shown the light down the stairs. Nothing appeared to be amiss from the top of the stairs. 

Doyoung walked down the steps first, and Taeyong slowly followed, keeping one hand on his boyfriend. The presence of the other man added a sense of comfort to the situation. 

They cautiously walked around the basement floor. It wasn’t a fully furnished basement – it was one of the reasons why Taeyong had been able to rent the place for so cheap. It still had a dirt floor, and if he didn’t go down once a week, it would be full of cobwebs. 

Nothing in the basement was out of place besides a box that had appeared to fall down, one that had contained old papers and cards that Taeyong hadn’t gotten around to sorting through and deciding which ones should be kept and which ones should be tossed. 

“I don’t see anything out of place,” Doyoung whispered. 

“Me neither,” he replied, his heart still racing. He could have sworn that something had been down here, but there wasn’t anything truly out of the ordinary. 

“I’ll check the door real quick,” Doyoung said, giving Taeyong a comforting pat before going over to turn the handle. “It’s still locked,” he whispered.

“Let’s go back up,” Taeyong replied, shivering. There had been a sudden chill in the air. 

Once they were back upstairs, they did a quick glance over the rest of the house, checking all the doors and windows, looking in the closets, and behind the shower curtain. Neither saw anything out of the ordinary, and eventually agreed to go back to bed. They agreed that he must have just heard the box fall. Taeyong couldn’t remember the last time he even touched the box, but he accepted that it must have been shifted when he was cleaning and had simply fallen down. 

The following night, Taeyong asked Doyoung to stay over.

“What? Are you afraid the ghost is going to come back?” he teased.

“Doyoung,” Taeyong whined. “I don’t want to be alone.” 

“I know.” 

They tried to not change their usual evening routine – eating dinner, watching TV cuddled on the couch, showering before going to bed. Except that they would still at the slightest sounds, quietly waiting to see if the shifting noise or scratching was coming from the basement. After each occurrence, they would look at each other, agreeing that it had just been the wind, or one of the neighbors down the street opening their door. But their eyes would frequently veer towards the basement door, and they would step closer together so that they were within arm’s reach. 

Wordlessly they agreed to check the basement before going to bed. A thorough investigation showed that there was nothing down there, and Taeyong pretended that he was comfortable as he laid awake into the early hours of the night, Doyoung softly snoring beside him. 

Taeyong woke up the next morning slightly more tired than he would have otherwise, as did Doyoung. They both agreed that they hadn’t heard anything strange as they tiredly sipped their coffee before heading to work.

The following night went about the same way, and Taeyong managed to sleep better, although still not quite the peaceful sleep that he had enjoyed before. 

On the third night, Doyoung insisted that he needed to spend the night in his own apartment. He informed Taeyong of his decision by phone in the late afternoon. “As far as I know, I don’t live in an aspiring haunted house. Besides, I need to make sure my roommate hasn’t burned down the place.” 

“Johnny will be fine without you,” Taeyong grumbled.

“You’re always welcome to stay over.” 

Taeyong knew that. Johnny was his friend too. Sleeping over had become awkward ever since he and Doyoung had gotten together, and since he had an entire house to himself, it had just made sense for Taeyong and Doyoung to spend the night together there.

“I’ll be okay alone,” he decided, not sounding particularly convincing.

“Are you sure?” Doyoung sounded concerned. “If you really are that scared, I’ll come over again.” 

“No, no,” he said. “I’m sure there’s nothing. Right? We haven’t heard anything the last couple of nights.”

“Well, if you ever get scared, I’m just a phone call away,” Doyoung replied. “Let me know, okay?”

Taeyong pulled his jacket closer, rubbing his hands together for warmth before fishing out the key to his house. He startled, almost dropping the key between the steps and the house when a black cat shot out of the bushes with a hiss, darting into a side bush in his neighbor’s yard. Taeyong stumbled back before regaining his balance and carefully opened the door, senses already on alert since this was the first day he had come home alone in nearly a week. 

He held up his keys in a fist as a makeshift weapon as he carefully looked around the entry way, waiting for something else to pop out of nowhere. He cautiously circled the house, making sure that everything was in their proper place and purposefully ignored the basement. He didn’t want to go down there by himself. 

Once he was convinced that there was nothing to be afraid of, Taeyong decided to go about his evening. He took his time cooking dinner, and prepping meals for the next few days. It was something he wasn’t usually able to do when Doyoung was over because they often got distracted doing other things. 

He enjoyed his dinner and relaxed in front of the TV, listening to whatever program he happened to have turned it onto as he played a game on his phone, while texting back and forth with Doyoung. His boyfriend bid him goodnight just before midnight and Taeyong soon followed suit. 

He climbed into bed, pulling the covers up to his chin before turning off the lamp. The room was cast into darkness and he closed his eyes, trying to relax his mind and body. He could hear the wind shake through the siding, it was a bit stronger than the weatherman had said it would be during the evening news. From a distance, he heard a garbage can fall over and he startled. Reminding himself that it was normal, he tried to relax again. 

From the kitchen, the refrigerator hummed back to life. Again, he reminded himself that these sounds coming from his house were normal. That he had heard them hundreds of times before and there was nothing to fear. 

That was when he heard another crash – this time it sounded a lot closer – it sounded like it came from just outside his window. 

Frightened, and convinced that something was out there, and it wanted to get in, Taeyong called Doyoung. 

His boyfriend answered on the second ring. His voice deep and scratchy, but oddly calming, “Are you okay, Yong?” 

“There’s something outside. It wants to come in,” Taeyong whispered. “I don’t know what it is. Or where it is.” 

“Okay,” Doyoung sounded a bit more awake and alert. “Are you safe? Is it a person? Do you need me to come over?”

“No, I’m okay. I’m sure it was just a tree branch, or something like that.” He huddled deeper underneath his covers. “I’m fine. I can get through this.” 

“Are you sure? If something is out there-”

“I think it was nothing, Doyoung. I’m just a bit on edge, but I’ll be okay.” 

“If you say so.” 

“Yes, sorry to wake you up.”

“You can call me whenever you need to. Just say the word, and I’ll be there.” 

“I’ll let you know,” Taeyong replied. “Good night.” 

Taeyong heard the worry in his boyfriend’s voice as he bid him goodnight again. He placed the phone onto the nightstand, and huddled, hugging the pillow Doyoung usually used when he stayed over close to his chest. 

He drifted into a light slumber as he listened the wind blow through the trees. Despite the warmth of his bed and his earlier confidence that he would be alright alone, he didn’t sleep well that night. 

Fortunately, it was Friday, and although Taeyong walked around in a tired haze that even multiple cups of coffee couldn’t solve, he took comfort in knowing that he wouldn’t be alone that night, and as an added bonus, he only had to work a half day and would be able to take a nap that afternoon. 

There was no way that he could be scared in his own home during the day, right?

Taeyong was positively giddy when he left his office at 1:30 in the afternoon, a hop in his step as he took the train home. Once he was there, he enjoyed a quick snack before deciding to take his quick nap. He snuggled into his blankets, wrapping his arms around his pillow, and closed his eyes, letting his body and mind relax. 

It was loud and clear yowl from below that startled him from his bed.

Suddenly alert, Taeyong equipped himself with the first weapon he could find, a decorative wood and marble paperweight, and the emergency flashlight he kept underneath his bed. He cautiously walked down the hallway towards the basement, stopping hesitantly at the door before continuing through. He felt a bit foolish – there could be something dangerous down there – and if he truly was smart, he should call animal control and have them deal with it. Except he was extremely curious as to what had made that sound, and he knew there was the possibility that if he waited the creature would no longer be there. 

The basement was dark and silent when he reached the bottom of the steps. There was a cool dampness in the air that sent a shiver down his back and he gripped the paperweight tightly in his left hand, ready to spring at any sudden movements towards him. He flashed the light around, hoping that he might see something dart into a corner or underneath a shelf, or perhaps even see a pair of eyes glowing at him. 

Unfortunately, Taeyong didn’t see anything, so he relaxed his grip, choosing to set down the paperweight so that he could examine underneath the shelves and in the corners closer. He was on his hands and knees, flashing the light underneath a set of shelves that housed bins holding his outdoor decorations, when he saw the slightest movement from the corner of his eye. 

He pulled back and immediately flashed the light on the motion as it scurried behind the hot water tank. 

His heart raced as he let out a screech, jumping up and racing towards the stairs. He didn’t like the look of whatever he had seen run across the floor. But he felt a pull, a more rational part of his brain saying that he should confirm that his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him. 

His mouth set in a grim line, Taeyong straightened his shoulders, and cautiously walked over to the hot water heater. He crouched down and flashed the light into the corner, but the tank obstructed his view, so he flattened himself down on the dirt floor, and flashed the light into the corner, and saw a pair of eyes gleaming at him. 

Taeyong let out a breath when he realized that it wasn’t what he had initially thought it was. Slowly, he reached into the corner and the small creature hissed at him. He ignored the warning, and gently grabbed it, pulling it to his chest, flinching when it sunk its teeth into his skin. 

“You’re so cute but feisty,” he cooed, stroking the dark grey head. “Are there any more of you?” He flashed the light around in hopes that he would see its mother and any other kittens. The small kitten he held mewled in response. 

Taeyong held the kitten close to his chest, making sure he stayed as quiet as possible, listening intently to the sounds in the basement. The kitten he held cried again and this time he heard answering cries coming from the opposite corner. 

He made his way over quietly, and once he heard the muffled mewls loud and clear, he kneeled and saw two more kittens, huddled in the corner of dusty shelves that housed Taeyong’s moving boxes that he never got rid of. The two kittens cried when he shown the light on them, which caused the kitten in arms to wriggle free and join his littermates before he could stop it. 

Slightly miffed that the kitten abandoned him, Taeyong eyed the corner and determined that they were too far back for him to safely grab them out. Plus, he didn’t want to move them before he knew where the mother cat was. 

As if reading his thoughts, Taeyong heard a chirp from above, causing the kittens to cry even louder than they had before. He flashed the light upwards towards where he heard the sound, and saw a proud black cat sitting in the crawl space. It was then that Taeyong realized that she must have entered through the hole in the foundation which he had been putting off repairing

He slowly backed away, and the cat warily watched him. Once he had reached the stairs, the cat must have determined he didn’t pose an immediate threat, for she jumped down onto the top of the shelves, and worked her way down, causing just enough noise for Taeyong to identify it as the sounds that he had been hearing. 

Excited, he raced up the stairs and started making his plans.

Doyoung came over as soon as he left work, giving Taeyong plenty of time to prepare his surprise. 

He led Doyoung to the backroom, bouncing excitedly, and presented his new discovery “Look what I found in the basement!” He pulled Doyoung over to the corner where the mother cat was feeding her three kittens. “Aren’t they the cutest!” He gently reached over to the mother, who upon inspection of his hand, proceeded to allow him to pet her.

Doyoung was much more cautious as he kneeled next to him, staying a bit further away. “Where did you find them?”

“They were in the basement,” Taeyong explained. “I heard a noise and since it was the middle of the day, I decided to go down and investigate.”

“Without telling me first?” Doyoung teased. 

Taeyong ignored his boyfriend as he continued his explanation, “I found them, and the mother was watching over from the crawl space. That must be how she got in – I’ll have to fix that hole. Anyway, I think she must have been someone’s pet because she came right over when I offered her a can of tuna, and then I brought them all up here.” 

He smiled as the two grey kittens moved away from the mother cat and started wrestling with each other. It had been fairly easy to get the kittens out of the basement once he bribed their mother with the can of tuna – she had been surprisingly friendly once she had been fed, making Taeyong think that she must have been someone’s pet before. The kittens slowly came out once they smelled the tuna and Taeyong did quick work of putting them into a box and taking them upstairs with the mother cat following closely at his heels, keeping an eye on her offspring. 

They seemed to have settled in nicely as Taeyong prepared the room with all the supplies they would need while he waited for Doyoung to come home. He had even made a quick trip to the pet store to grab additional supplies to make sure that they were truly comfortable. 

Doyoung noticed his eyes softening as he gently petted the black kitten, “Hey, don’t go falling in love with them. We can’t keep them forever.”

“Let me enjoy my kitten time first,” he pouted. “Aren’t they just the sweetest?” He picked up the black one and handed him to Doyoung, who gingerly accepted the small feline, and set him awkwardly on his lap. He allowed the small kitten to sniff his fingers while gently stroking his back. Taeyong smiled as Doyoung admired the kitten. He knew that Doyoung would come to love the kittens just as much as he did, if not more. 

A particularly tender look crossed Doyoung’s face as the small black kitten rolled onto its back and Doyoung gently petted his stomach. At that moment, Taeyong leaned over and gave Doyoung a soft kiss on the cheek and Doyoung blushed, choosing to look away towards the door. Taeyong grinned and interlocked their fingers, leaning closer to his boyfriend, “Admit it Doyoung, you already love him.” 

“I refuse to say any such thing.” 

To no one’s particular surprise, they both adored the kittens and even the mother cat quickly grew on them. They learned after the first trip to the vet that the mother, whom Taeyong named Jia, was just over a year old, and her kittens were approximately four weeks, far too early to adopt out. 

Taeyong quickly volunteered to raise the family until they were old enough and Doyoung went along with it because he knew that for one, he didn’t actually live with Taeyong yet (although his boyfriend would have found an alternate situation if he truly objected), and two, Doyoung knew that this would make Taeyong happy, and he would do anything in his power to ensure Taeyong’s happiness. 

Taeyong was surprised to quickly find a potential adopter whom they both trusted in the form of their friend, Taeil, who expressed interest in adopting the two grey kittens. An extended visit with the kittens solidified the decision and Taeyong and Taeil mutually decided that the two kittens would stay in Taeyong’s care until they were big enough to leave.

It was ultimately Doyoung who brought up the subject first. Taeil had just left – he would be taking home his two kittens in a week – and Taeyong was feeling a bit sad knowing they’d no longer be racing across his floor as he held the two sleeping kittens in his lap. 

Doyoung peered into the room, and seeing the sad expression on his boyfriend’s face, he sat next to him, and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. Taeyong pulled Doyoung closer to him as they sat on the floor. 

After a moment of silence, Doyoung finally spoke up. “I was thinking,” he said slowly, worrying his lip with his teeth. “That we should adopt Jia and Myung. We haven’t found anyone to adopt either yet, and I know how much you like having them around, and-“

“Yes!” The startled kittens leapt of Taeyong’s lap as he jumped up. “I want that.” 

“Oh, okay,” Doyoung said, surprised at Taeyong’s enthusiasm even though he had been the one to suggest it.

Taeyong enthused over the decision and hugged Doyoung tightly, before jumping away and calling out, “I’m going to go call the vet right now!” 

Bemused, Doyoung watched as his boyfriend disappeared out of the room, before coming back a few minutes later, his shoulders drooped, as he complained that the call would have to wait until tomorrow because the office had already closed for the day. 

Nevertheless, Jia and Myung were officially adopted. 

Every so often, Taeyong would hear strange noises coming from down in the basement, but he now knew that it was just one of his two cats who had found their way down and he knew all was well.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading!


End file.
